Bird flu causes local egg prices to rise

Next time you go the grocery store you may notice the price of eggs are on the rise.

The reason is the bird flu.

This year has been the worst outbreak of the disease in the United States.

Three Missouri counties were affected, and just yesterday Michigan became the 21st state to confirm a case of bird flu.

For the first year in a decade the U.S. is allowing imported egg products from the Netherlands.

However, in Mid Missouri we should not expect to see imported eggs on grocery shelves soon.

Tara Deering-Hansen, assistant vice president of communications for Hy-Vee said they are seeing some delays, but no significant shortages with its eggs supplies.

The suppliers though have asked Hy-Vee to stop running egg specials.

Also Deering-Hansen explained egg prices may soon vary over the next several months.

Which is something local bakeries are seeing happening right now.

One of those stores is Harold’s Doughnuts in Columbia.

“We have seen an increase of eggs prices of about 30 percent over the last three or four weeks. I have no idea if they are going to continue to rise or not but it is our hope to just absorb that cost without passing it on to the consumer,” said Melissa Poelling with Harold’s Doughnuts.

Nationwide more than 46 million chickens and turkeys have been killed by the bird flu, most are in Iowa the top U.S. Egg producing state.